Konz Wood Products
Outcome
Konz Wood Products was cited for 2 repeat and 15 serious OSHA violations, fined $177,453, and placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program after a 57-year-old worker was fatally struck by a lumber stacking machine at the Appleton, Wisconsin facility in December 2023 — the fifth OSHA inspection since 2016, with 2019 repeat violations still unaddressed.
Details
Konz Wood Products — Worker Killed by Lumber Stacking Machine, SVEP Placement (2023–2024)
Outcome: A 57-year-old worker was fatally struck by a lumber stacking machine at Konz Wood Products' Appleton, Wisconsin facility in December 2023 during a maintenance jam-clearing attempt; OSHA cited 2 repeat and 15 serious violations, proposed $177,453 in penalties, and placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program — the facility's fifth OSHA inspection since 2016.
In December 2023, a 57-year-old worker at Konz Wood Products' Appleton, Wisconsin facility was attempting to remove a jammed board from a lumber stacking machine when the machine's metal carriage struck the worker. The company had not ensured the machine was locked out to prevent movement before the worker entered the hazard zone. The worker died from the injuries.
OSHA's investigation found this was the fifth inspection at the facility since 2016. Repeat violations were cited for lockout/tagout procedures and fall protection — the same two categories cited in 2019 — indicating the employer had not corrected the 2019 citations. Fifteen serious violations covered machine guarding failures on table saws, band saws, exposed shaft ends, and chains and sprockets; fall protection deficiencies including missing staircase handrails; electrical hazards; and unsafe compressed oxygen tank storage.
OSHA proposed $177,453 in penalties and placed Konz Wood Products in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program, the agency's designation for employers that have demonstrated persistent failure to correct high-gravity hazards.
Primary Source: US Department of Labor finds Appleton pallet manufacturer failed to train employees; cites repeat violations after worker death
How Crucible Prevents This
Konz Wood Products' placement in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program is the regulatory system's formal recognition that this employer has demonstrated willful or repeat failure to correct high-gravity hazards after fatalities or multiple serious citation cycles. Crucible's SVEP tracking module would identify this employer as requiring warrantless OSHA access authorization, mandatory monthly safety reporting, and third-party compliance verification as conditions of any future work authorization.
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